1. Singapore, 28 May 2012 – Tanzania’s newly-appointed Minister for Transport, Hon Dr Harrison G Mwakyembe (MP), will officiate at the opening of the 3rd East & Central Africa Roads & Rail Infrastructure Summit 2012 on June 21 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

2. Taking-on of the post of Transport head earlier this month, Member of Parliament Mwakyembe has been tasked by President Jakaya Kikwete with the rehabilitation of Tanzania’s railway system that is critical to the efficient distribution of goods arriving at the country’s ports. Dr Mwakyembe has directed the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) and the Tanzania Railway Workers Union to develop a plan to allow the rail system to fully-play its crucial role in support of the country’s economy.

3. Minister Mwakyembe will be delivering the keynote speech to open this year’s Summit, which will feature presentations by a distinguished panel of industry leaders including  Mr Akashambatwa Lewanika, CEO, Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA); Mr Meshack Kidenda, Director General, Kenya National Highway Authority; Capt Dukundane Dieudonne, Director General, Burundi Maritime, Port and Railways Authority; Mr Sipho Khumalo, CEO, Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), South Africa; Mr Nelson Nyangu, Director of Planning, Ministry of Communications and Transport (MCT), Zambia; Mr Atama Gabriel Richard, Principal Infrastructure Officer, Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Uganda; Dr Twagira Elias Mathaniya, Director General, Rwanda Transport Development Agency, Rwanda; Eng Dr Michael M Odongo, Executive Director, Uganda Road Fund; among several others.

4. Private sector representatives that will be sharing the 2012 Roads & Rail platform include: Nduva Muli, Managing Director, Kenya Railways Corporation; Paul Runge, Managing Director, Africa Project Access, South Africa; Klaus Findt, Partner, Chief Operating Officer, Global Infrastructure – Africa, KPMG Services, South Africa; Peter Copley Pr Eng, Ops Evaluation Specialist, Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA), South Africa; Martin Fleetwood, Secretary, Rail Working Group, United Kingdom; among several others.

5. The Summit is endorsed by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), Tanzania and the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA). Also supporting the Event are the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATOA) and the Rail Working Group (RWG).

6. The CEO of the conference organizing company, Magenta Global Pte Ltd, Singapore, Ms Maggie Tan, said: “This is the premier Summit to tackle the road and rail infrastructure challenges facing East & Central Africa. The Summit will facilitate the exchange of fresh information, present new projects and engage industry stakeholders on viable project models for sustainable development of the transport infrastructure in East & Central Africa.” Ms Tan encouraged all companies and organizations to contribute to the development of this sector by being part of this key event.

7. The event will be held at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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